Lake Bonaparte & Brantingham Lake

BRANTINGHAM LAKE

Located just to the east of the hamlet of Brantingham, lies the mid-sized body of water called Brantingham Lake.The lake has become a very popular vacation spot for locals and tourists to the Adirondack Park.Many camps that were built along the lake have now become year-round residences.

There are two islands on Brantingham Lake.First is Grant or Round Island and second is Dark Island.Having a maximum depth of 85 feet, Brantingham Lake only hasan average depth of 45 feet.Buoys mark the length of the two distinct sand bars found in the lake.A submerged dirt road coming off of Dark Island to the mainland can still be seen.

Brantingham Lake has four lily ponds.Three of them you can access by boating under a bridge on the southwestern side of the lake.The fourth is found in a small inlet on the lake’s northeastern side.

At sunset one can hear “Taps” being played.Trumpets and a lone trombone player return the call to each other.This tradition started back in the early 1990s.

LAKE BONAPARTE

Lake Bonaparte is in the northern part of Diana, a town in northern Lewis County. On the south shore of the lake is the hamlet of Lake Bonaparte.

Lake Bonaparte was named in honor of Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother.

Lake Bonaparte has two public marinas, a public swimming area, and a state boat launch. Bullheads, walleyes, great northern pike, perch, and rock and black bass are all found in the lake. The lake is spring fed and over two miles long. It covers 1,286 acres with twenty-four miles of shoreline.